Students and faculty in the Arkansas Tech University College of Natural and Health Sciences have a new tool that will allow them to better understand the waterways of the Natural State.

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has donated the majority of its aquatic invertebrate working collection to the Arkansas Tech Department of Biological Sciences.

The donation of material, which was made possible by Arkansas Tech alumnus and ADEQ ecologist Tate Wentz, will provide students with a better understanding of the ecology of streams and rivers in Arkansas and faculty members with an additional resource for research.

“This collection represents a wealth of information about the natural heritage of our streams and rivers from all over the state,” said Dr. Rosemary Burk, assistant professor in the Arkansas Tech Department of Biological Sciences. “Arkansas Tech students will develop a portion of these specimens into a teaching collection that will strengthen current courses such as principles of zoology, limnology, entomology and environmental science. In addition, the collections will help attract students interested in studying ecology and environmental science.”

Wentz explained that the partnership between ADEQ and Arkansas Tech will provide for safe storage of the specimens so that comparisons can be made by future generations.

“These specimens can further be utilized to teach students about evolution, life history, taxonomy, identification skills, specimen cataloging and curating museum quality collections,” said Wentz. “Museums of natural history are important to preserve specimens that can assist researchers to answer the riddles of the natural world as well as educate the public of regional environmental and biodiversity issues.”

Burk said the study of aquatic invertebrates can reveal trends that will eventually affect humans in a variety of ways.

“Aquatic invertebrates are an important component of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems,” said Burk. “They are food sources for fish such as trout. Many aquatic insects emerge from the water and are a major source of food for birds, bats, amphibians and spiders. Conserving streams and rivers helps maintain ecosystem function and community diversity. In streams largely dependent upon groundwater for their stream flow, invertebrate communities also reflect water quality and permanence of groundwater that many residents depend upon for drinking water.”

For more information about the Arkansas Tech College of Natural and Health Sciences, visit www.atu.edu/nhs